Summer Flair Bartending Competition 4 Rules

Transcription

1 Summer Flair Bartending Competition 4 Rules Introduction The fourth annual Summer Flair Bartending Competition will be held from Sunday, September 20 th to Tuesday, September 22 nd, 2009 at Club Safari in West Palm Beach, Florida. This competition will have two skill divisions, Pro and Advanced. The Pro Division will be a Level 2 event on the 2009 FBA Pro Tour. The Advanced Division will be part of the 2009 FBA Advanced Tour. Each competitor is required to perform a flair round featuring working and exhibition flair skills and complete a timed accuracy test. Pro Division competitors will also be required to compete in a head to head flair trick contest, but this event is separate from the overall competition. Questions can be posted on the FBA message board. Competitor registrations should be sent to Mike McLean, mike@flairco.com or Additional activities at this event include the Absolut Top Bartender kick off party on Sunday, September 20 th, the Mixology Matters Cocktail Convention on Tuesday, September 22 nd, the Absolut Finest Mixology Contest to be held during the Summer Flair Bartending Competition finals and the Absolut Top Bartender reality show auditions on Wednesday, September 23 rd in Miami. See the Itinerary for more information. General Rules Any violation of these rules may result in disqualification from the competition. Any acts that display low integrity, poor taste or disrespect for the competition, sponsors, host facility or event staff are subject to disqualification. All competitors are required to attend the registration meeting on Sunday, September 21 st at 6:00pm in a banquet room at the Marriott Palm Beach Gardens, 4000 RCA Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens, FL An informal judging seminar will be held at 7pm on Tuesday, September 22 nd in the Mixology Matters Cocktail Convention. This seminar is open to all interested competitors, staff and FBA members. This event will have two skill divisions, Pro and Advanced, with a maximum of thirty (30) total competitors. All competitors must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age. Each round for this competition will be held inside Club Safari, 4000 RCA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL (right beside the Marriot), except for the Head to Head Flair Trick Contest, which will be held as part of the Mixology Matters convention in the Marriott conference rooms. Competition sponsors include Absolut Vodka, Finest Call, Budweiser, Club Safari, Marriott Hotels, Inkcorrect, Printcorrect, Barproducts.com, Spill Stop, Rock & Record, Bar Wars LLC, Flairbar.com and Flairco.com. Competitors will not be allowed to wear logos of any companies conflicting with the sponsors of the event. All rules, guidelines and drink recipes are subject to change at the discretion of the competition organizers.

2 Itinerary Sunday September 20 th 6:00pm Competition Meet & Greet in a conference room of the Marriott, to include questions, updates, competitor video interviews and photos 11:00pm - Absolut Top Bartender kick off Club Safari Monday September 21 st 12:00pm - Competitors Club Safari and check in. 1:00pm FAST Tender Accuracy Round 2:00pm Flair Qualifying Rounds for both Advanced and Pro Divisions 7:00pm - Announce Finalists and Finalists Meeting 7:30pm USBG Prep Class (optional) 9:30pm Spirited Dinner sponsored by Pernod Ricard (meet in hotel lobby) Tuesday September 22 nd 12:00pm Mixology Matters Cocktail Convention opens 2:00pm Head to Head Flair Trick Mixology Matters 7:00pm Judging Mixology Matters 7:30pm Finalists Club Safari to prepare for finals 8:00pm - Doors open to the public 8:30pm Head to Head Flair Trick Finals 9:00pm - Advanced Division Finalists 10:00pm - Pro Division Finalists 12:00am - Awards Ceremony 12:01am - Post Party Wednesday, September 23 rd 10:00am Bus to Absolut Top Bartender Qualifier in Miami (meet in hotel lobby) Prizes Pro Division Advanced Division 1 st = $ trophy 1 st = $ trophy 2 nd = $ trophy 2 nd = $ trophy 3 rd = $ trophy 3 rd = $ trophy 4 th = $ trophy FAST Tender Winner = trophy 5 th = $ trophy 6 th = $ trophy 7 th = $ trophy 8 th = $ trophy Overall Prizes Head to Head Winner = $ trophy Finest Call Stall = $ trophy Head to Head Runner Up = trophy Finest Call Runner Up = $ trophy FAST Tender Winner = $ trophy Flairco / FBA BAM Award = prize package

3 Flair Rules 400 Points Competitors in both divisions have four (4) minutes of show time in the qualifying round. Pro Division finalists will have six (6) minutes of show time in the final round, while the Advanced Division finalists will have five (5) minutes of show time. Competitors will make an Absolut Mango Caipiroska and a Summer Special cocktails in the qualifying round (see recipe page for details), then add a Bud Light Lime beer for the finals. The Pro finalists will also make an Absolut Black Cherry Martini. All bottles used must have their original sponsor brand labels intact. No competing brands may be used. No empty bottles can be included in the competition bar set up. A minimum of one (1) Absolut Mango bottle must be set to no less than half full for the working flair drink. All other bottles can be set at no less than ½ oz. A Spill Stop # metal pour spout is required on the half full Absolut Mango working flair bottle. Any free flowing spout can be used on all other bottles. Pour spouts can have one strip of tape around them to keep them in place. Juices or mixers not distributed by Finest Call can be in clear, un-tinted glass bottles of the competitor s choice, provided that these bottles have all branding removed. Each competitor choice bottle can have no more than three (3) strips of tape, 1 (2cm) wide, and up to two (2) FBA / Pro Tour / Bar Wars LLC / Sponsor stickers. Music must be provided in CD Audio format (not MP3) and in its own case, properly labeled with your name and track number. It is highly recommended that you bring more than one copy of your music with you in case it is damaged or unreadable. Event staff are not responsible for damaged or unreadable music. In the finals, the first thirty (30) seconds of the final round must be spent creatively opening the Bud Light Lime. Up to a ten (10) point bonus will be awarded. In the finals, each competitor must at least attempt a Finest Call stall in their routine. Bartenders can set up the competition bar any way they choose, but nothing can start on the upper bar surface that limits visibility for the judges and audience. No fire tricks of any kind will be allowed. Pro Division The Pro Division at SFBC 3 will be a Level 2 event on the 2009 FBA Pro Tour. The entry fee for the Pro Division is $ for FBA Premium Members, $ for FBA Basic Members (early registration till Sunday, September 6 th ) or $ for FBA Premium Members, $ for FBA Basic Members (after September 6 th ). This entry fee includes three (3) nights shared accommodations at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott and a competitor gift package. The scores from both the qualifying flair round and the FAST Tender Challenge will be combined together for an overall qualifying score. The top eight from the qualifying round will advance to the finals. The final round will consist of only one flair round. All finalists will receive a trophy or plaque. All Pro Divisions competitors are required to compete in the Head to Head Flair Trick contest on Tuesday, September 22 nd as part of the Mixology Matters Convention. While the Head to Head contest will not count towards the overall results of the competition, a 100 point penalty will be assessed to any Pro competitor that does not compete in this round.

4 Advanced Division The Advanced Division at SFBC 3 will be part of the 2009 FBA Advanced Tour. The entry fee for the Advanced Division is $ for FBA Premium Members, or $ for FBA Basic Members (early registration till Sunday, September 6 th ) or $ for FBA Premium Members, $ for FBA Basic Members (after September 6 th ). This entry fee includes three (3) nights shared accommodations at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott and a competitor gift package. The scores from both the qualifying flair round and the FAST Tender Challenge will be combined together for an overall qualifying score. The top five from the qualifying round will advance to the final round. The final round will consist of only one flair round. The top three finalists will receive trophies or plaques. Advanced Division competitors can choose to compete in the Head to Head Flair Trick contest if they want, but are not obligated to do so as there is only one division. Scoring 400 Points Total Difficulty 100 Points This category is scored on the degree of difficulty that the competitor's routine contains as a whole. Only moves that are successful will be taken into account when determining the competitor's difficulty score. If a competitor attempts a trick and does not hit it, and does not go back and attempt it again, the trick will not count towards the competitor's difficulty score. Difficulty can come in several forms. It could be the level of difficulty in one individual move. It could be the combination of a series of moves put together, or it could even be the way a bartender hits their moves to the music or the beats. Originality 50 Points This category is scored on the amount of original content in the competitor s routine. Competitors will earn points for original flair moves, styles and sequences. Judges do not want to see moves, sequences or entire routines that they have already seen. Competitors who have signature moves will be rewarded in this category. However, competitors are encouraged to create and add new content to their routine to score as well as possible. Smoothness 50 Points This category is scored on the flow in which the competitor executes their moves. To score well in this category the routine should be smooth and not choppy. The competitor should transition their moves very well. Moves should blend together and not have breaks for re-adjustments in between. The competitor should maintain smoothness throughout the different sequences they perform. If a competitor has many drops that interrupt their routine, they will lose points in smoothness. There are different types of smoothness, very dependent on each particular competitor's style.

5 Variety 50 Points This category is scored on the variety of different moves the competitor performs and variety of combinations of objects they perform with. The more aspects of flair they display the higher they will score. If the competitor is repetitive with their moves they will score lower here. If a competitor performs their routine with the same combination of objects, they will score lower. (example: If the competitor were to do their whole routine with two-bottle tricks, even though they might not repeat moves, they would score lower here than someone who does bottle/tin, two-bottle, two-tin/one-bottle & three-bottle tricks, as long as the latter competitor, also does not repeat moves). Overall Entertainment 100 Points In this category, the competitor should not be just flipping bottles, but entertaining both the crowd and the judges. They should be able to break down the imaginary wall between competitor and crowd. A competitor's choreography or physical style may play a part in this category. The competitor's routine should flow with the music and not be just flipping bottles with no concern for the music. The energy of their routine will play a large roll in their score in this category. Showmanship 50 Points This category is scored on the showmanship displayed by the competitor on stage. Showmanship is based on the competitor s demeanor and presence behind the competition bar. The competitor should seem confident and in command of their performance at all times. If the competitor comes across as just a bartender flipping bottles, as opposed to a professional entertainer, they will not score as well in this category. Beer Bonus 10 Points Up to a ten (10) point bonus will be awarded for the opening and creative pouring of the Bud Light Lime during the first thirty (30) seconds of the finals round. This time is known as the Bud Light Lime Time. Creative promotion of the product and the brand are key to earning this bonus.

6 FAST Tender Accuracy Challenge 100 Points (qualifying only) All competitors will be required to complete the following eight (8) pours as quickly and accurately as possible using the FAST Tender timer and system: 0.25oz, 0.5oz, 0.75oz, 1oz, 1.25oz, 1.25oz, 1.5oz and 2oz. Competitors can use one or both hands to complete the required pours. Competitors will start with both hands on the timer, once they remove their hands, their time will start and will not end until they complete their pours and put both hands back on the timer. Competitors will pour the listed measurements into the appropriately marked tins, with penalties added for every 1/8oz variance from the required pours, as well as any spills or any bottles not returned to the speed rail. The penalty for every 1/8oz variance will be 1 second added to the competitor s raw time. The same penalty of 1 second will be added for every spill and for every bottle not returned to the speed rail before time is stopped. The raw time will be combined with the penalties to determine the competitor s total time, which will earn points based on the scale below. All times will be rounded to full seconds for scoring purposes. For times between.01 and.50, the time will be rounded down to the full second. For times between.51 and.99, the time will be rounded up to the full second. Any competitor with a total time lower than 15 seconds will receive a 5 point bonus for every second quicker than 15 seconds. The competitor s score from the FAST Tender Challenge will be combined with their flair score to determine the overall results of the qualifying round. The FAST Tender Challenge will only be used in qualifying, not the finals. Time Points Time Points 15 seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds 5

7 Head to Head Flair Trick Contest The Head to Head Flair Trick Contest is a required element for all Pro Division competitors, but the contest will not count towards the overall results of the Summer Flair Bartending Competition. Competitors will be split into a head to head bracket system. The first competitor in each pairing to earn three (3) points advances to the next round. The two (2) finalists will kick off the Summer Flair Bartending Competition finals with a race to five (5) points. The referee will signal when an attempt is successful, when an attempt is not successful, when the time limit starts and ends, as well as when a point is awarded. Any Pro Division competitor that does not compete in the Head to Head Flair Trick Contest will be assessed a 100 point penalty. Earning Points To earn points, a competitor must describe a move to the referee and the challenging competitor. Then the competitor must land the described move in a single declared attempt within thirty (30) seconds. If the attempt is unsuccessful, the competitor loses their turn and the challenger can then describe their own move. If the attempt by the competitor is successful, the challenger must then try to hit the move as described in no more than two (2) attempts with a total time limit of thirty (30) seconds. Each attempt must be declared to the referee prior to starting the move. If the challenging competitor cannot land the move in two (2) attempts or thirty (30) seconds, the original competitor earns a point. If the challenger is successful in completing the move, no points are earned. The competitors will alternate turns, regardless of points earned. The first competitor to earn three (3) points will advance to the next round. There is a time limit of fifteen (15) minutes per Head to Head battle in the qualifying rounds and a time limit of twenty (20) minutes in the finals. In the event that the time limit has been reached without either competitor earning enough points to win, which ever competitor has the points lead will advance to the next round. If the competitors are tied, a last and final challenge will be used to determine which competitor will advance. Required Elements There are three (3) stages to earning points in the qualifying round and five (5) stages for earning points in the final round Competitors will need to complete and earn the point for each stage before advancing to the next stage. The required move for the first stage is a stall, which needs to be landed with control for no less than three (3) seconds. The stall can be landed on any body part with a maximum of two (2) action elements. For example, a bump to a stall. Once the competitor earns the point for this stage, they can move on to the second stage.

8 The required move for the second stage is a measured flair pour. When describing this move, the exact amount of the pour must also be called. This move can consist of a single pour to the called amount, or a series of two (2) pours to the called amount. Multiple bottles and / or tins can be used for this move. If either the original competitor or the challenging competitor complete the move but is more than 1/8oz off of the called amount, this will be considered to be an unsuccessful attempt. Once the competitor earns the point for this stage, they can move on to the third stage. The required move for the third stage is a freestyle move of the competitor s choice. Once the move is described, the competitor has thirty (30) seconds to make an announced attempt to complete the move. The time can be used to warm up or practice the move before the announced attempt. Once the competitor earns the point for this stage, they will be declared the winner of the head to head battle in the qualifying round. In the final round, they will move on to the fourth stage. In the final head to head battle, there will be a fourth and fifth stage. The required move for the fourth stage is a working flair move using a half full sponsor bottle without spilling. If either the original competitor or the challenging competitor complete the move but spill during the completion of the move, this will be considered an unsuccessful attempt. Once the competitor earns the point for this stage, they can move on to the fifth and final stage. The required move for the fifth stage is another freestyle move of the competitor s choice. Once the move is described, the competitor has thirty (30) seconds to make an announced attempt to complete the move. The time can be used to warm up or practice the move before the announced attempt. Once the competitor earns the point for this stage, they will be declared the winner of the head to head battle in the final round. Definition of a Move A move consists of three (3) distinct elements, a release, an action and a finish. For the purpose of this contest, competitors are limited to the following combinations of these elements: RELEASE to ACTION to FINISH or RELEASE to ACTION/RELEASE to ACTION/RELEASE to FINISH An action is defined as any contact with the competitor s body, where simultaneous action by multiple objects counts as only a single action. There can be no more than two (2) releases per move, not an extended sequence of actions and releases linked together.

9 Flair Round Penalties and Deductions One (1) Point per Occurrence Spills of liquor, mixer or beer that exits the bottle or container and does not make it into the drink. Spills may occur during pouring or flipping. Competitors will be penalized for obvious spillage. Drops of any bottle, shaker tin, glassware, or bar tool that leaves your control while attempting a move and hits any surface. Competitors will be penalized one drop for every object they lose control of and do not catch. Missing, wrong or improperly proportioned ingredients, per occurrence. This includes garnishes and straws. Indirect Breakage of any glass object that happens as a result of no direct action from the competitor. For example, if a bottle is dropped and bounces several times before breaking, this will be considered an indirect break. Unintentional Empty Bottle Flair, per occurrence. Five (5) Points per Occurrence Missing, wrong or improper ingredient, as listed in the competition recipes. Unsanitary or improper procedure that would cause concern from a guest, co-worker, manager, or health inspector. An example of this would be scooping ice with a glass or any object other than an ice scoop, ice tongs, or mixing tin. Direct Breakage of any glass object that happens as a result of a direct action from the competitor. Competitors will receive one penalty for each object that breaks. Intentional Empty Bottle Flair, per occurrence. Twenty-five (25) Points per Occurrence Missing, unservable or incomplete drink that is not appropriate to be served. An example of an unservable or incomplete drink would be a drink that is only half full. Not including sponsor brands, per occurrence. Not using the full thirty (30) seconds at the start of the final round on the beer. Not attempting a Finest Call Stall in the final round.

10 Drink Recipes 1. Bud Light Lime Beer (finals only) Creatively open and pour a Bud Light Lime beer for a minimum of thirty (30) seconds at the start of the finals routine. 2. Absolut Mango Caipiroska 2oz Absolut Mango (half full bottle) 1oz Finest Call Mango (half full bottle) 1oz Finest Call Agave (half full bottle) 2 Lime Wedges Muddle lime wedges in a 7oz Rocks glass, fill with ice and add ingredients Stir before serving 3. Summer Special Absolut Vodka TY KU Competitor Choice Ingredient (any clear, unbranded glass bottle) Finest Call Margarita Mix Build in a 10oz Stemmed Tall glass filled with ice Lime wedge garnish, tall straw 4. Absolut Black Cherry Martini (Pro finals only) 2oz Absolut Citron 2oz Finest Call Raspberry Puree 3oz Finest Call Sweet & Sour Mix Combine ingredients in a shaker tin with ice, shake and strain into a 10oz martini glass Cherry garnish Competition Tools Flairco Portable Bar competitors can set up the bar any way they choose, but the upper bar surface should not have any tools on it at the start of each round. Bottles some 750mL sponsor bottles will be supplied, but competitors are encouraged to provide as many of their own bottles as possible Glassware 7oz Rocks, 10oz Martini and 10oz Stemmed Tall Pour Spouts Spill Stop # (working flair) and any free flowing plastic spouts (exhibition flair) Any juices or mixers not distributed by Finest Call can be in Store N Pours, Piazza Speed Pourers or clear, un-tinted, unbranded bottles of the competitor s choice. The competitor choice bottles can have no more than three (3) strips of tape, 1 (2cm) wide, and up to two (2) FBA / Pro Tour / Bar Wars LLC / Sponsor stickers per bottle. Copyright 2009 by Flairco Inc.